Envelope



United States Patent 3,318,510 ENVELOPE Frederick H. Quarles IH, 2401 Fontaine Ave., Charlottesville, Va. 22901, and Milton L. Golf III, Vineyard Haven, Mass. (314 Windsor Ave., Wayne, Pa. 19087) Filed Sept. 21, 1965, Ser. No. 488,956 1 Claim. (Cl. 22985) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An improved envelope construction is provided wherein a tear strip is formed integrally with a flap portion of an envelope by a double row of perforations, and the tear strip further includes an adhesive portion at one end for contacting the contents of the envelope. A precut portion is provided in at least the end of the tear strip having the adhesive portion so as to assist in the ultimate removal of the tear strip and the contents away from the envelope. In use, the tear strip functions to open the envelope and to assist in a lifting of the contents out of the envelope.

This invention relates to an envelope having a tear strip for providing easy access to the contents of the envelope, and more particularly the invention relates to a tear strip construction for an envelope which attaches itself to the contents so that upon opening the envelope, the contents can be pulled out with the tear strip.

Various types of opening devices, as used on envelopes, are well known in the art and include the provision of perforated sections or strips which can be broken away to eX- pose the contents of theenvelope. Additionally, strings and other types of mechanical devices have been included in envelope structures to facilitate the opening of such envelopes. However, the prior art devices are usually costly to produce in combination with a conventional envelope, and such devices have provided only limited access to the contents carried by an envelope.

The present invention provides for an opening strip which can be included in a standard mailing envelope structure with little alteration in the envelope or in existing apparatus used for stamping out the envelope forms. Additionally, the tear strip which is produced in accordance with this invention provides for a removal of the contents rather than a mere exposure of the contents of the envelope.

The structure of this invention is made without separate tearing or ripping devices in the envelope, such as strings or strips of metal. Also a provision is made for automatically attaching the tear strip portion of the envelope to its contents when the envelope is sealed in a normal manner.

In the more detailed discussion of this invention, reference will be made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is an outside view of the rear face of the envelope of this invention with the sealing flap in its closed position; and

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to that shown in FIGURE 1, but illustrating the envelope structure when the sealing flap is in a raised and open position.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the envelope of this invention is shown generally at 10, and includes conventional flap portions 11, 12 and 13 which are folded to form the body portion of the envelope and to define the outer dimensions of the envelope, as shown. In addition, a sealing flap 14 is provided for closing and sealing the envelope after contents have been placed inside.

The sealing flap 14 includes the opening device of this invention and also includes the means for removing the contents of the envelope after the envelope has been opened. The opening device of this invention is in the 3,318,510 Patented May 9, 1967 form of a tear strip 15 which is defined by two rows of perforations 16 and 17. The two rows of perforations 16 and 17 extend along the entire length of the sealing flap 14 in the region where that flap joins the main body of the envelope 10. As illustrated in FIGURE 1, the rows of perforations are in the form of parallel lines spaced from one another so as to define a strip of material which can be lifted and separated from the sealing flap 14 when it is in its closed and sealed position. The upper perforated line 16 is shown as being spaced downwardly from the upper edge of the envelope when the envelope is closed. The second and lower row of perforations 17 is spaced further downwardly and parallel to the upper line 16. Alternatively, the upper line of perforations 16 could lie on a fold line 18, as seen in FIGURE 2 so as to coincide with that line and to provide for a removal of a strip at the very top edge of the envelope 10.

The tear strip 15 is also provided with precut portions 19 and 20 at opposite ends of the perforated line 17. The precut portions provide for an initial starting of the tear strip at one end while permitting a raised removal of the tear strip once it has been lifted for its entire length to its opposite end. The precut portion 19 is illustrated in FIG- URE 1 as being at the end of the tear strip 15 which is initially lifted to open the envelope. By providing the precut portion 19, there is less difficulty in lifting the end of the strip 15 so as to initiate a tearing action along both of the perforated lines 16 and 17 simultaneously.

As illustrated in FIGURE 2, the back of the tear strip 15 is provided with a spot of adhesive at 21. The purpose in providing an adhesive spot at one end of the tear strip 15 is to permit an attachment of a portion of the tear strip to the contents of the envelope. It should be noted that the flap 14 also includes the usual strip of adhesive about its margin 22 which serves to seal the flap over the lower portion of the envelope body when it is closed. The position of the adhesive spot 21 is immediately adjacent to a part of the normally adhesively coated area 22 of the sealing flap 14, and therefore the spot 21 can be easily moistened at the same time that the remainder of the flap is moistened for sealing. Although the adhesive spot 21 is shown as a circular patch separate from the usual adhesive area 22 about the margin of the sealing flap 14, it is contemplated that the portion 21 could be a mere extension of the glued margin 22 into the area of the tear strip 15. FIGURE 2 also illustrates the construction of the flap 13 which includes an open area 23 positioned to be aligned with the adhesive spot 21 when the fiap is closed. Thus, upon closing the flap 14 into a sealing position, the adhesive spot 21 attaches itself to the letter or other contents of the envelope so that such contents may be removed upon opening the envelope with the tear strip 15. The open section 23 in the flap 13 is limited to the area of the adhesive spot 21 so that the remainder of the adhesive material around the margin 22 of the flap will lie over portions of the envelope itself, rather than in contact with any part of the contents of the envelope.

In use, the tear strip may be provided with printed directions indicating the end which is to be initially pulled, as illustrated in FIGURE 1. Upon pulling the tear strip 15 from the end which includes the precut portion 19, the strip may be pulled upwardly and toward the opposite corner of the envelope so as to progressively tear the strip along the lines 16 and 17 and to open the envelope. As the progressive tearing of the strip 15 reaches the precut portion 20 at the opposite end of the strip, the strip 15 can be easily lifted away from the envelope so as to pull the contents which are afiixed to the strip by the adhesive 21 out of the envelope. The upper perforation 16 may also include precut sections at the ends of the strip to facilitate initial tearing or the final removal of the strip and the envelope contents away from the envelope.

Having described this invention, it can be seen that the opening and removal functions are provided in a construction which is reliable in use and economical in manufacture. The incorporation of perforations in an envelope flap together with the particular positioning of a glued patch 21, as described above, can be accomplished with existing envelope structures and apparatus for producing the same with very little modification. In addition, there is no necessity for the addition of any parts or devices to the usual envelope structure for assisting in the opening or removal functions described by the present invention.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it is contemplated that variations will become obvious to those skilled in the art, and such variations are intended to be Within the scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

In an envelope having a body portion with an open side for receiving articles to be carried by said envelope, and a sealing flap for closing and sealing the open side of the envelope body, the improvement comprising:

an opening means included in said sealing flap for opening said envelope after it has been closed and sealed, said opening means further comprising a tear strip formed integrally with the sealing flap of the envelope by two rows of substantially parallel perforations through the sealing flap, and including a precut portion into at least one terminal end of said tear strip and in alignment with at least one of said rows of perforations for assisting in the ultimate removal of said tear strip from the sealing flap, 7 an attachment means between the tear strip of the sealing flap and the contents of the envelope for removing the contents of the envelope with the tear strip after the envelope has been opened by the tear strip, said attachment means comprising an adhesive portion carried on a face of said tear strip which is adjacent to an exposed part of the envelope contents,

and an opening in a body portion of said envelope in the area where said adhesive portion will be positioned when said sealing flap is folded over the body portion of the envelope, whereby the adhesive portion of said tear strip can be attached to the contents of the envelope when the sealing flap of the envelope is folded over the envelope body.

References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS 553,403 6/1957 Belgium. 358,164 1/1906 France. 1,015,019 8/1952 France.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner. R. PESHOCK, Assistant Examiner. 

